FIFA 07 review

I tried out FIFA 07 for the PS2 and I was impressed. FIFA 07 plays quite as well as Pro Evolution Soccer and the graphics are nicer. The running, kicking and other various animations were very realistic!

Josh Tam's personal review

Since Playstation One, I have been playing FIFA games. I started out playing FIFA 02 and I was impressed with the graphical presentations. However, there were problems that I felt in FIFA 02. Since then, I have been playing Winning Eleven Pro Evolution Soccer.

I tried out FIFA 07 for the PS2 and I was impressed. FIFA 07 plays quite as well as Pro Evolution Soccer and the graphics are nicer. The running, kicking and other various animations were very realistic and sometimes too realistic until my PS2 started to lag. However, I was told that FIFA 07 does not lag on the XBOX 360.

There are some soccer/football game fans who like FIFA series and some who like the Winning Eleven Series. Their attitude is often to tell others that the one they do not like is bad. But after playing both Winning Eleven 2007 and FIFA 07, I can tell, both games are really entertaining and enjoyable.

Let me tell you the good parts of FIFA 07. If you want a game that can make you feel like you are "into" the world of football (soccer), FIFA 07 is the one. It is endorsed and licensed by many teams around the world, including the Korean K-League. Of course, the American MLS, European and South American giants are all there. You can play as your favorite team, trying to make your team win.

There is the manager mode in FIFA 07. Here is one of the best parts. You play as a coach and you can recruit players, try to win matches, meet with the sponsor's demands... This is the world of professional soccer.

The music in FIFA 07 is just awesome. It has songs from various artists from around the world, playing in a background playlist, and I never get tired of the music.

But what FIFA 07 lacks, when compared to the Winning Eleven series is the in-depth match strategy system. FIFA 07, as well as other FIFA games, mostly concentrate on having a lot of licensed teams in the game to attract their respective fans, and that works, people are happy, but the gameplay strategies are not quite as deep as Winning Eleven's. In FIFA, I searched around the strategy adjustment options and I found that I could choose from a variety of formations and also set the in-game tactics using the D-pad or left analog. That maybe enough for some people... well I mean to say that playing the game itself is still fun, but in Winning Eleven, there is an in-game option to adjust the attacking/defending level of the whole team, and the team tactics currently in use, plus adjusting the positions of the players one by one. This means we are not limited to preset formations. I can make my own formations! I believe, FIFA should implement this in order to attract more fans who are all about strategic soccer (like me).

Overall, FIFA 07 is a unique game that is definitely worth a shot. Especially the manager mode. And especially if you don't quite give a damn about game strategies and just want to play using your favorite real-life team and against other real-life teams. Lots of them.